Blue Lake — Sunday, Sep. 4, 2016

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

This trail is a great choice for a short family hiking outing. Our little group included my two-year old daughter and my 11 year old dog. Forest roads to the trailhead were in very good shape. From Bellingham this seems like a far drive, but in the end the mileage is only a bit further than the distance to Artist Point, with far less traffic once you leave Hwy 20. From the reports here and the write up in a hiking guide, I wasn't expecting the trailhead to be quite as busy as it was, though I'm sure the long holiday weekend was the contributing factor. We had a late arrival, so a lot of folks were coming off the trail and leaving as we got started. We arrived shortly before 1 pm, so after a picnic lunch at the car we headed out. Besides one blow down the trail to the lake was in great shape and it's a quick .75 mile walk. My daughter walked a good portion of the hike, though I put her back in the carrier for the short but tricky descent/ascent to and from the lakeshore. Tons of huckleberries and blueberries ripe for picking and snacking were a nice addition to the short hike. There were a few backpackers and day hikers at the lake, but we did get some quiet time in the grass by the shore for playing and casting some flies for brook trout. The weather was reasonably warm, with intermittent showers during our hike in and time at the lake. This lake is a beautiful little blue-green gem tucked in a small cirque. The other option this trailhead offers is a bit longer climb up to Dock Butte which apparently offers an excellent view of Mount Baker just to the north from an open alpine ridge. Given the rain and low cloud cover, we didn't pursue that option, though we'll definitely be back to explore that option in the future. It's very easy to incorporate both destinations into one relatively short, scenic and highly accessible day hike.